Donna Summer

The queen of disco did not need an introduction or spotlights on her. She was always the light, the beacon of the beat. She was an idol of R&B, dance, rock and gospel, with five Grammys and an everlasting list of Top 10 albums and singles, including “I Feel Love” and “Love to Love You Baby.” TIME called the latter hit a “marathon of 22 orgasms.” An editor apparently counted. (Donna did not throw herself on the studio floor to get a better emotional angle on the song, as has been rumored.)

We met in Munich, of all places, known for beer and BMWs, not as a center of pop rock and talented African-American singers. I always wanted to record a sexy song, and one day in 1975, Donna stepped into my studio: a former chorus girl in Hair, unemployed, out of money and out of love with her then husband. She told me, “Giorgio, I think I got something.” It was “Love to Love You Baby.” She sang, she moaned. I tried to find rhythm on my piano. The rest is history. Disco time.